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Vernon Corea - The Broadcaster presenting a radio programme in a studio.

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This tribute website to legendary Sri Lankan Broadcaster Vernon Corea is a TOP BLOG according to Ebuzzing - ranked 4959 as of August 2014.

“Rasa Mathaka Asiriya” by Vijith Kumar Senaratne is an absorbing collection of essays on a number of professionals in spheres as diverse as photography, broadcasting, teaching, music and the plastic arts. While some of the faces in this galaxy are well known, others have hardly ever been known to the general public. Composer Premasiri Khemadasa is a known face but few would have heard of sitarist Piyadasa Athukorala, who performed in almost every major concert in the 60s and 70s including Victor Ratanayake’s Sa, and contributed those unforgettable opening melodic refrains of the song ‘Sinidu Sudumudu Thalawe’ from the film ‘Sath Samudura.’

Author Senaratne, with two previous books to his credit including one on pioneer singer Sunil Santha, has researched extensively his subjects and their careers, thereby bringing out a plethora of fascinating detail. In the meandering tone of a natural story teller who loves telling his stories, Senaratne mentions that Sunil Santha gave away his thriving music class to young Amaradeva at a time when he himself was quite short of money. Or that Leela, Sunil’s wife, saved a couple of Tamil neighbours from a mob during the July 1983 riots, and that she died holding the hand of her old friend Dr. Thilokasundari kariyasasam. Sitarist Athukorala went on his father’s shoulders to see Rabindranath Tagore lay the foundation stone for the Sri Pali school in Horana. Photographer and film producer Chitra Balasuriya’s Chitra Studio in Gampaha was a haven for actors and musicians, paving the way for films such as Parasathu Mal and Thunman Handiya.

The career of flutist Weerasena Pieris, whose mellifluous tones can be heard in songs such as W. D. Amaradeva’s Pipunu Kusuma and Victor Ratnayake’s Thotupola Aiye, was cut short when he was attacked with a knife as a political reprisal. Announcer Gunathunga K. Liyanage pioneered the broadcasting of Hindi songs on SLBC’s Sinhala commercial service, introduced direct phoning during live programmes into Sinhala medium broadcasting, allowing scholar Edwin Ariyadasa to comment directly while news of man’s first steps on the moon were being broadcast.

Palitha Perera, better known for his cricket commentaries, was put in charge of SLBC’s first FM Broadcast ‘City FM.’

When it comes to the teaching profession, Maya Abeywickrema rendered invaluable services as a music teacher, widening the scope of Western music education in our schools and initiated the National Youth Orchestra, producing many fine Western classical musicians. Prof. J. B. Dissanayake made the study of Sinhala an attractive proposition and wrote books in English for those studying it as a second language.

Hemapala Perera, adept protagonist of the mandolin and tabla though better known for flute playng, went blind at a tender age due to a botched innoculation. Nimal Mendis, composer of ‘Master Sir’ and ‘Ganga Addara’, wrote and performed the music with his UK band for songs by British jazz singer Mary Marshall. Mendis and his wife Ranjani made several documentaries too, including Dawn of Terror and Stop Killing, Start Singing.

Singer Irene Malini Ranasinghe, now largely forgotten, comes live in these pages. She made her mark as a playback singer in the films “Mee Messo” and “Arunata Pera.” Singer Wasantha Sandanayake was actively involved in film making, working in films such as ‘Wahal Dupatha’ and entertaining people with Tamil songs whenever the film locations were in the hills.

“Rasa Mathaka Asiriya” is an absorbing collection of essays on a number of professionals in spheres as diverse as photography, broadcasting, teaching, music and the plastic arts”

Narada Disasekara, though he became one of our best known singers in the 60s, studied science and joined the SLBC as a recording technician, achieving such fame in that profession that he recorded Ravi Shankar and was sought out by Sunil Santha to record his lament when PM S. W. R. D. Bandarnaike was killed. Narada got his break as a singer in the film ‘Sikuru Tharuwa’ thanks to film star Punya Heendeniya, who convinced music director R. Muttiswamy to give him a chance to sing. Some of M. S. Fernando’s slower songs such as ‘Bola Bola Meti’ came out of a creative necessity, due to a SLBC ban on fast rhythms during the Ridgeway Thilakaratne era.

Radio announcer Elmo Fernando was so enamoured as a schoolboy by Prosper Fernando’s Hindi songs programme that he habitually ran 15 minutes from home to school after hearing it to the end. SLBC’s Vernon Corea noticed this young enthusiast and handed him over to Karunaratne Abeysekara who took him under his wing. In the same era, prolific musician and multi-instrumentalist Douglas Ferndinands lived in a house along Park Road, Havelock Town, which was more recently occupied by politician Douglas Devananda.

The book is filled with many such anecdotes and reminiscences.

Published by Agahas Prakashakayo, 717/2, Madinnagoda, Rajagiriya, the book is available at leading bookshops including Sarasavi, Gunasena, Sooriya, Vijitha Yapa and Surasa Maradana.

Recently Vernon Corea’s son, Ivan visited the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and met with the new Chairman, Attorney At Law Nanda Muruttettuwegama, SLBC staff at the station including veteran broadcaster K.S.Sivakumaran, Nihal Bhareti and the legendary composer and singer/songwriter Nimal Mendis and his son Paul Marie Mendis. It was a wonderful meeting at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation – joining them were the top SLBC producer Indira Priyadarshini Nawagamuwa and members of the Radio Ceylon Facebook Group Chrismarlon Perera and Shantilal Vairwaranathan.

Ivan was interviewed by SLBC legend Nihal Bhareti over the airwaves of the station.

Chris Marlon Perera of the Radio Ceylon Facebook Group with Ivan Corea in the foyer of the SLBC.

The entrance to the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

Ivan Corea near the original foundation stone of Radio Ceylon – Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in Colombo.

Ivan Corea donates some CDs to SLBC English Services Director Yusuf Noordeen in memory of his late father Vernon Corea in Mr. Noordeen’s office at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. (Radio Sri Lanka)

In the canteen of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. (Radio Sri Lanka)

Anthony Bourdain visited Sri Lanka for the first time in 2008. He compiled a fascinating insight into Sri Lankan cuisine and the country at the time for the Travel Channel.

Photograph from the early 1970s of Sri Lankan broadcaster Vernon Corea on a Coconut Estate in Chilaw – his home town. Chilaw was known for three ‘C’s – Crabs, Coconuts and Coreas. Anthony Bourdain tasted the famous Chilaw Crab Curry when he visited the town in 2008 accompanied by Skiz Fernando the food writer who has links with Chilaw.

Anthony Bourdain is a famous American Chef, author and television personality. He visited Sri Lanka in 2008 for the first time to taste the culinary delights and experience the sights and sounds of Sri Lanka. Anthony Bourdain actually visited Chilaw, the hometown of the legendary Sri Lankan broadcaster Vernon Corea to taste the well known Chilaw Crab Curry – Chilaw was known as a coastal town with the three ‘C’s – Crabs, Coconuts and Coreas. Tony was accompanied by US born Skiz Fernando a Chef and food writer who has family links with Chilaw.

During his visit Anthony Bourdain stayed at the iconic Galle Face Hotel in Colombo. In the late 1950s and 1970s Vernon Corea broadcast New Years Eve celebrations and entertainment shows at the Coconut Grove from the Galle Face Hotel on the airwaves of Radio Ceylon.

Watch Anthony Bourdain in Sri Lanka:

Read about Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Sri Lanka on the Travel Channel:

Sujeewa Prasad passed away in Sri Lanka. He was a live wire on the Radio Ceylon Facebook Group.

It is with sadness that we record the sudden passing away of Sujeewa Prasad in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He was a real live wire on the Radio Ceylon Facebook Group and a dedicated listener of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Sujeewa was a regular contributor to the Radio Ceylon Facebook Group sharing his tastes in music and his views. He was a kind and supportive human being – a good man. Sujeewa represented the Radio Ceylon Facebook Group at the Service of Thanksgiving to mark the 10th death anniversary of Sri Lankan broadcaster Vernon Corea at St. Paul’s Church Milagiriya in Colombo, Sri Lanka in September 2012. He recorded the service and uploaded it on youtube. He became a friend of Vernon’s family and met Vernon’s daughter Ouida Corea Wickramaratne and her family when they visited Sri Lanka. He was in constant touch with Vernon’s children.

This is what Sujeewa wrote on this tribute site in August 2014:

‘Vernon Corea was a enormous character of the media field in Sri Lanka. He was well known not only in Sri Lanka, but right across the Indian Sub-Continent from the late 1950s to the 1970s – this was in the heyday of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia

As a Radio Ceylon Face Book Fan, I am so proud to mentioned here that I got a chance to join his 10th death anniversary which was took place at the St. Paul’s – Milagiriya Church 2012, invited by his loving daughter, Ouida Corea Wickramarathne and his loving Son Ivan Corea.

Further, I will appreciate the invaluable co-operation of our friend Chris Marlon Perera to made this presentation to the Chairman of the station.’

May Sujeewa’s soul rest in peace………

These are the funeral arrangements for Sujeewa Prasad – people could pay their respects at the burial at Maharagama Cemetery at 3 pm on Sunday 26th October 2014.

The Broadcasting in Sri Lanka: Potential and Performance book by Nandana Karunanayake.

Vernon Corea of Radio Ceylon in 1969.

Sri Lankan writer Nandana Karunanayake has mentioned broadcaster Vernon Corea in his book ‘Broadcasting in Sri Lanka: Potential and Performance, ‘ published by the Centre for Media and Policy Studies in 1990. The book refers to Vernon Corea being appointed Director News of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

Reference to Vernon Corea in ‘Broadcasting in Sri Lanka.’ (Courtesy of Google books)

Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU)

Nandana Karunanayake also goes on to mention in his bibliography that Vernon Corea contributed a feature on Commercial Radio Ceylon to the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Newsletter in October 1969. (Pages 13-16)

Veteran Radio Ceylon/SLBC Broadcaster K.S.Sivakumaran’s news feature published in the Daily News Sri Lanka. We quoted the full article in an earlier post. The article in the Daily News was published on 17th September 2014 to mark the 12th Death Anniversary of Vernon Corea on 23rd September 2014.

Veteran Radio Ceylon/SLBC Broadcaster K.S.Sivakumaran wrote a moving news feature on his friend Vernon Corea who left the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in 1975 as Director News. Sivakumaran recalls his first meeting with the legendary Sri Lankan broadcaster at Radio Ceylon in the 1960s.

The 12th death anniversary of Sri Lankan broadcaster Vernon Corea falls on Tuesday 23rd September 2014. Vernon Corea’s birthday also fell on 11th September 2014. The family have released previously unpublished photographs of the Radio Ceylon/SLBC and BBC Broadcaster to mark his 12th Death Anniversary on Tuesday.

Legendary Sri Lankan broadcaster Vernon Corea of Radio Ceylon/Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and the British Broadcasting Corporation pictured in New Malden Surrey in the United Kingdom.

Vernon Corea with his daughter Ouida Corea Wickramaratne in the United Kingdom.

Broadcaster Vernon Corea at Radio Worldwide in Harold Road Upper Norwood in South East London in 1976.

Broadcaster Vernon Corea in Buckhurst Hill in Essex in the United Kingdom.

BBC Ethnic Minorities Adviser Vernon Corea with his grandson Charin Corea on his 75th Birthday in Surrey UK in 2002.

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BOOK ON VERNON COREA

Read the eBook on Vernon Corea - click on the picture for the eBook in pdf format

THANKSGIVING SERVICE

A Service of Thanksgiving marking the 10th Death Anniversay of Vernon Corea - click on the picture to see the Order of Service.

RUKSHAN PERERA’S TRIBUTE

Sri Lankan mega star Rukshan Perera wrote a special composition, 'When Angels Fly,' and dedicated it to Vernon Corea at the Thanksgiving Service. Watch the film on You Tube.

BATHIYA & SANTHUSH TRIBUTE

Sri Lanka's super stars Bathiya & Santhush released a special message on Vernon Corea. Click on the Watchout Magazine picture to read the message.

MARIAZELLE GOONETILLEKE’S TRIBUTE

Sri Lankan Mega Star Mariazelle Goonetilleke, paid a tribute to Vernon Corea at the Thanksgiving Service and sang 'Wind Beneath My Wings.' Vernon was one of the first to write about Mariazelle in his EMCEE Column in the Ceylon Daily News in the 1960s. Click on the picture to see the You Tube film.

NIMAL MENDIS ON VERNON COREA

The legendary Sri Lankan singer/songwriter Nimal Mendis of 'Master Sir,' 'Ganga Addara' fame paid a tribute to Vernon Corea at the Thanksgiving Service. Nimal Mendis wrote the hit song for autism, 'Open Every Door,' dedicating it to Vernon's grandson, Charin Corea. Click on the picture to see the You Tube film of Nimal singing 'Light Floods In.'

VIJAYA COREA ON VERNON COREA

Leading Sri Lankan media personality and former Director-General of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, Dr. Vijaya Corea's tribute to his cousin Vernon Corea. Click on the picture to see the You Tube film.

BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER AT THANKSGIVING SERVICE

The British High Commissioner, His Excellency John Rankin, attended the Thanksgiving Service for Vernon Corea .